News and notes from the Grand Forks Herald's Brad Elliott Schlossman

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Have final cuts been made?

Team USA women aren’t supposed to announce their final roster for the Olympics until Jan. 1 during the second intermission of the Winter Classic.

But I’m hearing that USA Hockey made its final two cuts after Friday night’s game in Grand Forks.

I asked USA Hockey for comment, and a spokesperson said, “No players have been removed from our roster.”

USA Hockey is likely waiting for the final two pre-Olympic games on Saturday and Dec. 30 to make sure there are no major injuries before officially making the announcement.

Former Canadian Olympian Tessa Bonhomme tweeted that defenseman Lisa Chesson was one of the cuts. Bonhomme and Chesson were classmates together at Ohio State.

I would like to get secondary confirmation on the other cut before I post her name, but I’m hearing the other one is a young forward.

If true, that would mean that all three local girls are locks for Sochi (which is expected). It also means that the Americans are going to go to Sochi with just 11 forwards — one of them being Amanda Kessel, who has not played lately because of injury.

No doubt it has been a bit of a strange process in piecing together this roster, and you have to wonder whether Team USA wishes it would have kept Hannah Brandt or Sarah Erickson. Both could help this team out up front.

4 thoughts on “Have final cuts been made?”

If true, another head scratcher. I thought Chesson was one of their better defenseman…but then again she never played for the crimson. furthermore, the Brandt omission still baffles after watching a couple of the younger forwards continue to struggle out there.